Ahhhh. Is this what’s trending now in kdrama kisses nowadays? The follow-up kiss by the piano? The guy first gives a short kiss, then follows it up with a much longer one. Only, there’s additional prop thrown in the scene: the black baby grand piano.
Thanks, @agdr03, for this comparison between the two first kisses in “Record of Youth,” and “Do You Like Brahms?” I wasn’t going to watch DYLB, but your post made me look!!!
If you’ve been a long-time reader of Bitches, you’d know that @agdr03 and I take our kiss scenes seriously.
It didn’t surprise me that she was the first one to notice that, this week, we had two “first kiss” scenes from our kdramas-du-jour, “Record of Youth” and “Do You Like Brahms?”
ROY – ambiance was romantic as in full city night lights with a piano park setting. 🥰 HJ even played and sang a song for JH. He just got slapped by Dad so he’s emotional and to add he wasn’t included after all in the mini series but already being with JH made him happy. The kiss itself wasn’t bad and HJ had a tear too when he was kissing her.
DYLB – JY explained first to SA that he’ll be JK’s pianist at her recital and of course SA got upset because she was going to ask him but anyway when she’s about to leave, JY says that he likes her. He said it 4 times before going for kiss. SA broke the kiss because she leaned on the piano but it was fine to lean on it so second kiss happened. Ambiance wise it was very private and JY was determined to be with her.
Kiss wise, I felt DYLB was better because I felt JY’s kiss in proving to SA that he’s telling the truth.
Here are the clips for those who aren’t following the kdramas.
“Do You Like Brahms?” … Episode??
And this is from “Record of Youth” Episode 6.
Moreover, if you’re a long-time reader here, you know that I seldom disagree with @agdr03. But on these kisses, I beg to differ. Sorry…
I like Kim MinJae, but I can’t like this actress no matter how hard I try.
I gather from @agdr03’s comment that her character was jealous. Hence, Minjae went to her to explain any misunderstanding she might have. And….right there! her character annoyed me all over again. Why? Why did he have to worry that she might misconstrue a working relationship between colleagues? Is professionalism such an alien concept for her to understand?
JY: I’m trying hard to go to you (meaning, to become closer to her and gain her acceptance) but you keep pushing me away. So I came to explain everything from the beginning.
SA: Okay. I understand. I heard what you had to say. Are you finished?
(Rolling eyes) You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to understand that when a woman coldly says, “It’s fine!” it’s a trap. Her behavior is so passive aggressiveness.
JY: I like you. I like you. I like you. I like you. I came to tell you this.
I like this shot.
The window framing the couple looked like a cathedral window, so I got the impression that he was confessing his “holy” feelings for her. The repetition of the words reinforced that impression as well.
You see, anybody who’s been to a Catholic mass knows that Catholics love to repeat things in prayer. Such as the Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”) and Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.)
Thus, when JY repeated, “I like you,” four times, it came off as a prayer, to me. He was pleading for her to believe in him when he said that he liked her.
Then, the OST began playing. Frankly, it sounded tinny, especially the intro. It reminded me of the ballet accompaniment I heard when I was kid about to work on my plies and demi-plies at the barre. The sound editing wasn’t good, either. The timing was off so the singer’s voice momentarily clashed with JY’s confession, “I came to tell you this.”
But more than the music, I dislike the kiss itself. There was nothing wrong with the execution. Kim MinJae looked decisive as he moved in, held her by the arms, and kissed her. As I expected, he delivered the passion.
However, the REASON for the kiss bothered me. I didn’t like that they’d just been arguing a few seconds ago, and now he was kissing her. That told me that this was a “de-escalation kiss.” By kissing her, he sought to disarm her with his passion, and defuse her anger. lol.
He was disarming her alright by gripping hard on her arms.
But she slipped, and accidentally hit the keyboards. The piano squeaked an awful sound. They stopped kissing. She looked up at him with that stupid look on her face.
Trivia: there are 42 muscles in the face. She could have use any number of them in a variety of ways yet she always displays this same facial expression for nearly every deep emotion.
He grabbed her neck and kissed her again. She stepped back again but this time, her hand remembered not to hit the keyboards. Her other hand gripped his sleeve.
Now, I don’t get why the director was trying to say with that hand hovering over the keys. In the passion of the moment, when a girl gets lost in the kiss, she won’t give a fig about the piano.
All SA’s thoughts should have been on JY’s passionate kiss. So that hand hovering over the piano was stupid because that hand should have slowly moved to wrap itself around Minjae’s waist, neck or head. Worrying about the piano meant she wasn’t focusing on the kiss.
And that’s what this kiss meant for me. Yes, it was passionate, and yes, it is Minjae. But the kiss wasn’t a “meeting of two souls” – as romance writers would say. It wasn’t a communion. It was a conflict-resolution. She was angry with him, and he wanted her to have faith in him.
I like ROY kiss better, although the camera’s 360 degree spin around the our couple at the piano made me dizzy.
First, I like the lead-up to the kiss.
JunHye was thinking, “Something magical happens when you fall in love with a woman. This particular woman has a name. An Jeongha.” He sang on the piano,
Searching for the stars,
Sparkling in the night sky,
I see your eyes blinking.
Oh, how beautiful they are!
I finally take the steps,
After hesitating over and over again,
And I will never forget
How you held my hand.
Then, he looked at her, as if he was about to tear up (gosh! Nine out of ten, Park Bogum looks like he’s bursting to cry at stressful times). He moved in to kiss her. She was waiting for him and closed her eyes at the right moment.
Second, the staging here was good. They were on a deserted stage, and the kiss was the highlight of the performance.
Remember also what I said about the Rule of the Triangle. The director was able to create a focus; he wanted us to look at a particular spot; and the triangle-within-a-triangle forced our eyes to center in on that point where we “think” their lips are joined.
lol. I’m in the mood for triangles this morning.
Third, ROY had a better use of the piano as a prop than DYLB. In ROY, the male lead played the piano to get them in the right mood for the kiss. In DYLB, the piano behaved like a…third wheel. lol. It didn’t like to see them kissing so it “protested.”
Then background music began playing.
Fourth, I thought the OST was well-chosen. The intro was piano so the melody flowed like an extension of the music that JH played earlier.
Their faces separated. They gazed at each other for a moment. Neither said a word. She blinked twice, a tell-tale sign of nervousness. She blinked because she couldn’t quite believe what just happened (i.e.,“He kissed me!”). He transferred his gaze from her eyes to her lips. Then, he decided to kiss her again. Everything was done slowly. There was no rush.
At their lips’ contact, there was no movement. She didn’t back away like that silly girl in DYLB. To me, her stillness suggested that she was holding her breath which made sense.
Fifth, unlike SA’s hand hovering over the piano in DYBL, her reaction made perfect sense. JH was her crush. Of course, her heart would have been racing, and she would have forgotten to breathe. But as soon as JH’s lower lip moved to catch her lower lip, she started kissing him back. She was “in the moment.”
Then a tear from Park BoGum’s eye fell. (lol. I called it! I knew he’d cry!)
What’s my take on this kiss?
Keeping in mind what @agdr03 said that JH suffering a setback with his father and career, I get that the idealistic kiss. It shows a love that gives comfort, is grateful, and promises faithfulness. At this magical moment, he’d fallen in love with this particular woman. And because they kissed out in the open air, there was liberating sense in this moment. He’d been bogged down by his hardships, but being with her released him from his worldly cares.
I think the lyrics of the OST, “Every Second,” describe this sentiment.
Every step I take
I’m following your steps
Everyday I’m walking right beside you
If I gently give my arm and wrap it around you
We can forget about the world
Whatever you want
Whatever you say
I’ll make it with you
Whatever you want
Whatever you say
So that you can always put up a smile
I, the one who you see will never change a bit
No matter what the reasons are.
source: http://lyricskpop.net
Lastly, the aerial shot was a good choice by the director. The city lights were a backdrop, and the kissing couple were separated by a river from all that crazy hustle and bustle of surviving in the city. They were in their own peaceful zone. Filming this from a bird’s eye view tells us that their current problems were surmountable when the two of them were together.
I know this is a schmaltzy romantic concept but it works for me better than DYLB’s first kiss.
I have yet to watch DYLB kiss scene but it seems like a kiss that SA was not expecting and also sounds like a kiss to seal the deal. Did they resolve the conflict beyond the kiss?
Btw, I’m not sure if they will officially release the song HJ sang at the piano as a OST as it is released in 2016 by Sweden Laundry.
Two Hands, To You
Lyrics:
Will they fade
Now and the future
Like the dreams I dreamed every day, a long time ago
Like a forgotten time
when we swore with our pinkies
for a frail promise
The things that I loved
Slowly disappearing
Will I ever get used to the feeling
I stay the same but
the eyes that judge me
seem to change
What do I do?
Don’t worry
The world around you is tightly
hugging you right now
I know that
You think you’re the same
but little by little you
are growing up
In the dark night sky
like a shining star I found you
and your eyes glimmering
They’re so beautiful
All the hesitation
in every step that I have to take
disappear whenever I remember your two hands
Love the lyrics in the song, hopeful and encouraging. 🙂 HJ sang the part perfect for AJ though the unsung parts is also the hopeful message of the record of their youth.
Waaaaaaaa! I’ve missed your kiss analysis for a long time so this is awesome! 😍 Kumawoyo! 🙇🏻♀️
I’m glad you did this so I could understand it better where all the characters are coming from. I told you I’m only a kiss reporter but you’re the editor. 😉
🙂 I’m still waiting for the first kiss between Shengnan and Jin in “Dating in the Kitchen.” What episode is that on?
Thanks, grace for looking up that song that BoGum sang on the piano!
Jin first kissed Shengnan in episode 7, I think. That’s when he travelled for 10 hours by taxi just to see her because she fell down the stairs. Their first official kiss as a couple is in episode 14. ☺️
Yeah right! Some fans are making fun at ROY kiss and compare it to DYLB kiss. I don’t watch both dramas, but there are clips hanging around twitter and youtube.
Without context, DYLB kiss wins! But somehow when I compared the two, I feel the sincerity and genuineness (also realness, like first kisses for me are supposed to be on the awkward side, because it’s a first) more on ROY, so for me, ROY kiss > DYLB kiss.
Now knowing the stories behind each kiss, I’m glad I sided with ROY kiss (hahah what is this, a kiss battle? 😂 Well, they aired on the same day so yeah hihi)
Thanks @pm3 and @agdr03 for taking these kisses seriously, the kiss battle is on! I’m watching both dramas and setting aside their characters, I think a kiss is a kiss. Unless they are teenagers and first timer in kissing then we would understand being awkward to do it.
SA’s facial expressions are mostly lifeless in front of JY when talking about their present feelings and past ones with their dream relationship. If this is one of the reasons why she became FL, to portray that kind of look and then will have character transformation to be more aggressive latet, she’s doing well then. JY’s kiss was passionate, maybe he needs to be a bit wilder for SA to respond with the same level.
I go for ROY’s kiss as well but I bet that Dating in the Kitchen’s leads are more experienced kisser and could well satisfy the viewers.
@Packmule3, in defense of the character Chae Song Ah, in previous episodes she’d been threatened and burned by Jung Kyung in regard to Joon Young. In one confrontation, JK tried to pull rank (citing her having known Joon Young 15 years) and wield authority (demanding SA stay out of JY’s and her business). This was after SA and JY had spent a significant amount of time together, had deep conversations, JY told SA he sought her out because she made him smile like no one else, SA confessed to JY that she liked him, and JY asked SA to wait for him as he sorted out some things in his life. She had good reason to hope she was on a path toward a relationship with JY. Although SA didn’t know it, it was also after JY realized he didn’t like JK’s behavior and rejected the emotional claim she tried to lay on him. At another time, when JK responded to Hyun Ho’s confusion about their breakup by claiming she’d slept with JY in New York because she loved him, and not HH any longer, SA witnessed that confrontation as a bystander. (JY had offered to hold SA’s violin while she was in the ladies’ room, he’d carried it with him into the lecture/recital hall when he went in to try and stop the fight between JK & HH, and SA entered the room in search of JY and her violin; she wasn’t merely eavesdropping.) JY denied JK’s claim, and later asked SA if she believed him. She told him she did, but the situation with her friends Min Sung and Dong Yoon weighed heavily on her mind. Those two had tangled their three-way friendship with SA by sleeping together, regretting it, and pulling SA into the middle of their chaos. So I can understand why JY’s announcement that he would accompany JK for her recital would rattle her.
As for the actress Park Eun Bin’s expressionless face throughout this drama, I can understand your frustration. This is the first time I’ve seen her in a role, so I don’t know if this is her modus operandi. Buster Keaton made a career out of being Old Stone Face, although he balanced that by being an excellent physical performer. (Have you ever seen his movie The General? He did many amazing stunts in that before stunts were engineered for safety.) If it weren’t for the insightful dialogue put into SA’s mouth by the writer, I might not have thawed to this female lead; but now I’m finding it refreshing that she’s not a trope as a perky, spunky girl conquering the world with her outgoing personality. Still, I’m with you in wishing she’d get more use out of her facial muscles. In brief scenes where from a distance we glimpse her chatting with JY, her face is much more animated, and so is JY’s.
There’s a scene in episode 7 when SA is having a heart-to-heart with her father and asks him, “Do others think that people who wait quietly are frustrating?” And I immediately thought, yes, at least Packmule3 thinks so!
My general impression of this drama is that the writer and director are not giving us their A-game. As yet in their careers, they may not have risen to that level of expertise. There are moments that I like this drama a lot, moments when I’m disappointed in what I’m seeing and/or hearing, and moments when at least I’m distracted from the craziness in the real world.
I will give an A grade to SA’s wardrobe. Her clothing is classy with structural features that bring life to the designs without being flashy.
@Eureka, 🤫 please don’t mention the Dating In The Kitchen kisses because I’m trying to hold back with it. I’m betting I’m going to explode with dopamine upon seeing the kisses that’s supposed to come. 😂
Sure @agdr03, I’m actually very forgetful of many details. I think cdramas have a different command when it comes to intimacy and handling relationship.
I believe that SA will shine and even her beautiful long hair will be enhanced later in this drama. I like her fashion style too and she moves like a Princess.
@Eureka, we take our kisses seriously here at BoD (except when the kisses aren’t serious).
Hmmm…that should be another one of this blog’s taglines. “Kisses for Bitches. We take our kdrama kisses seriously.”
But one of the most kisses was this kiss scene with Eric (of Shinhwa) in
https://youtu.be/EH92ejD98bE
They were fighting each other over I-don’t-know-what. She was pounding her fists on him. They wrestled. He threw her against the wall. And started kissing her to shut her up. And Eric Mun is a very physical kisser. And when I say “physical”, I mean, his lips ATE hers.
But WAIT!!
This is the eye-rolling part for me…
The woman had a BRUISE on her lips.
Okay, that kiss checked all my hot buttons.
One, it was an angry kiss. This sort of angry kiss is the precursor to “angry sex/make-up sex” which I don’t find one iota romantic. I want the couple to resolve their issues — with cool heads — first BEFORE attempting to be intimate with each other.
Two, kissing (like sex) should be about giving each other pleasure. But in that Eric Mun’s kiss, the girl had a freaking scab on her lip.
Three, lust. The glorification of lust over love is sooo Hollywood-y. Look: it’s perfectly normal to be passionate with one’s lover; it would be odd if the couple didn’t want to “ravish” each other (ravish is a Mills and Boon word, lol). But to be passionate with somebody that filled him/her with disgust and anger? Uhhhh, nope. I’d take a pass. It’s not believable. That’s just the chemical imbalance of dopamine and oxytocin taking control of them.
Queen, 🙋🏻♀️ just a question please, have you seen the kisses that’s supposed to come for Dating In The Kitchen? Just curious because I want to know if it’s just an imbalance of my excitement 😂
I’ve seen two kisses: the accidental one when she was taking the selfie. And the one on the landing, outside the door, after he traveled 10 hours. But I’ll wait for the third one (You said it was in Episode 14?) before writing a comment.
But please go ahead and write about them here (or in the other Dating in the Kitchen thread). I don’t mind spoilers. And why should you contain your excitement just because I’m a slow viewer? 🙂 Go ahead and post away.
I’d planned to watch “DitK” last night but my husband and I watched “Enola Holmes” on Netflix instead. I fell asleep after 15 minutes, according to my husband. lol.
Oh wow! Enola Holmes is trending in Aussie Twitter when I last look so I was going to ask here if it was any good but you fell asleep after 15 minutes. 🤪 I’m interested because of Henry Cavill. Now, he has a lot of muscles. 😁
Thanks for the reply. Don’t worry about me, I’ll wait for you to look at their first couple kiss. The rest of the kisses that’s coming up are in the 19th episode I think so it’ll be awhile yet but I did see a preview on Instagram. Please do a quick analysis on those ones ok? 🙇🏻♀️ I’ll remind you. 😉 Thanks! ☺️
Henry Cavill is as handsome as ever. He’s built like a tree trunk. And his hair is making my fingers itch: I want to mess up the curls.
What can I say? lol. I fell asleep not because I was bored but because I was tired from work, and we were watching it in bed. I told him we should watch it downstairs in the big screen, and we should have popcorn, too. I would have stayed awake longer. hahaha.
Yep to the tree trunk built of Henry Cavill and oh yeah those curls 😍 I’ll try to watch it too. 😊 Actually I don’t mind Millie Bobby Brown because I’ve seen her in Stranger Things. 😁
Enola Holmes is okay. Just wasn’t the plot I was thinking. But Millie Bobby Brown has transformed into a very pretty lady.
@Welmaris, I like what you said about SA not being a FL trope as a perky, spunky girl. @Eureka, I’m hoping for that kind of character development too for SA maybe after they finish school.